His Eminence, Metropolitan Orestes (Chornock)

Metropolitan Orestes P. Chornock (Circa 1938)

On July 11, 1883, in the rectory of the Greek Catholic village
church in Ortutova, Saris, in Austro-Hungary, His Eminence, Metropolitan Orestes Chornock was born to
Reverend Father John Chornock and his wife, Pani Mary. Orestes completed his elementary schooling in
Bardijov, then graduated to the Royal Gymnasium in Presov where he studied for
eight years and graduated with honors.
Young Orestes entered the theological academy of Presov,
completing his studies, becoming a candidate for Holy Orders.

He was united in marriage to Yolanda Molchany on July 17, 1906,
a union that was to last for thirty-one years, broken by Pani Yolanda's death
in 1937. Seminarian Orestes was ordained
to the Priesthood on August 28, 1906 on the Holyday of the Dormition of the
Virgin Mary in the Cathedral of Presov by the Most Reverend Bishop Dr. John
Valyi. The newly-ordained priest was
assigned the village church in Osturna, County of Spis,
where he labored for two years. On
November 17, 1908, the young Father Chornock came to America,
along with other priests to minister to the needs of the hundreds of thousands
of Carpatho-Russians who emigrated to the United States. Father Chornock served parishes in Burnside-Chicago, Illinois;
Cleveland, Ohio;
and Duquesne, Pennsylvania. On March 25, 1911, he became pastor of St. John's Church
in Bridgeport, Connecticut where he labored for some 45
years. The parish was one of the largest
in the country.

By 1936 there was turmoil in the Greek Catholic Church after
repeated pleas for recall of the decrees of celibacy and latinization which had
been imposed on parishes. After no
response, parishes met in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania at a Church
Council. On February 6, 1936, those
parishes selected the Reverend Orestes P. Chornock as administrator for the
establishment of a new diocese. The
following year, on November 23, 1937, hundreds of delegates and priests
gathered again in Pittsburgh
and, by unanimous vote, elected Father Chornock as Bishop-designate.

Metropolitan Orestes (Circa 1938)

On September 18, 1938,
Father Chornock was elected and consecrated Bishop by the Holy and Sacred Synod
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Three Metropolitans: Germanos, Constantine
and Dorotheos were the consecrating bishops.
Bishop Orestes was consecrated with title to the See of Agathonikeia,
which means "Good Victory". The new
Bishop would single-handedly steer the new Diocese on its course through 1966
when he would receive an auxiliary bishop in the person of the Most Rev. Bishop
John R. Martin to assist him. Shortly
before that, in 1965, Bishop Orestes was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan
by the Ecumenical Patriarch. His
Eminence passed to life eternal on February 17, 1977, with his funeral on the
first day of Lent in St. John the Baptist Church
in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Highlights of Metropolitan Orestes' Episcopacy

He founded a canonical, self-governing
American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese under the jurisdiction of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

He established the seat of the Diocese
in Johnstown, PA where Christ the Saviour Cathedral
was built.

Founded in 1940 Christ the Saviour
Seminary for the training of diocesan clergy.

Originated the Diocesan Youth
Organization, A.C.R.Y. in 1939.

Promoted the publishing of the Diocesan
newspaper, The Church Messenger.

Instituted a systematized program for Sunday Church Schools
and teacher training .

Inaugurated the first religious award
for Orthodox Scouting in 1954 which became the basis for the present Alpha
Omega Award.

Pioneered the use of English in the
Divine Services.

Spearheaded the founding of mission
parishes by the Diocese, especially in newly-established communities.

Began the annual Diocesan
Pilgrimage-Otpust at Christ the Saviour Cathedral and Christ the Saviour
Seminary in Johnstown.